Can Rabbits Eat Lettuce

Lettuce is a fun treat for rabbits. However, if you feed them too much your rabbit may get diarrhea. This happens when things you feed your rabbit aren't digested and absorbed before they reach the end of the digestive tract where bacteria start to ferment it.

Under normal conditions bacteria work hard to slowly digest the tough fibers found in hay. Their work produces high quality nutrients for your bunny but this can go wrong if you feed it too much easily fermented foods like lettuce that are like candy for bad bacteria. A meal full of easily fermentable fibers found in lettuce are quickly fermented by bad bacteria and their growth can cause a change in the pH of the rabbits digestive tract. This spells trouble and often leads to bloating and diarrhea.

Rabbits should eat a diet that is based upon pellets properly formulated according to their age. For all rabbits this means that their diet should be based primarily upon hay. Adult pet rabbits are healthiest eating a grain-free and soy-free pellet that is balanced with the natural vitamins and chelated minerals. The nutritional needs of baby rabbits are better met with a high-fat diet (like mamma's milk) that is high in fiber and low in starch. Feeding bunnies anything other than their scientifically balanced diet will simply dilute the nutrients they are getting from their pelleted diet and will alter the balance of protein and energy that they need to grow and stay healthy.

Active columns

iProteinAdult rabbits need about 14% protein in their diet (if well balanced).

Fat%

iFatAdult rabbits will he healthier with about 4-5% fat in their diet as long as they don't eat too many calories (from starch/sugar).

Fiber%

iFiberAdult rabbits need a minimum of 20% fiber in their diet.

Calcium%

iCalciumA balanced diet contains a minimum of 0.6% calcium. Too much calcium can be a problem if Phosphorous is lacking or if synthetic Vitamin D3 is added to the diet.

Phosphorous%

iPhosphorousAdult rabbits need a minimum of 0.4% phosphorous.

Ratio

iRatioIt is important to balance the ratio of calcium and phosphorous. Ideal values are less than 6.

Choline

iCholineCholine is a very important vitamin that is often overlooked. Units displayed below are in "mg/100 grams diet"

Vitamin E

iVitamin EVitamin E and Choline work together to support healthy tissues will greatly benefit with higher dietary concentrations. Units displayed below are in "mg/100 grams diet"(minimum needed to prevent muscular dystrophy is 5mg/100g).

Starch/Sugar%

iStarch/SugarToo much starch or sugar in the diet will cause bloating and diarrhea. Max values are less than 14% of the total diet. Ideally adult rabbits do better with concentrations lower than 5% (prevents excess fat accumulation).

More information

Iceburg

0.9%

0.1%

1.2%

0.018%

0.02%

0.9

6.7

0.2

2%

Details

More Information

Iceburg lettuce is mostly water held together by cellulose... a plant fiber that can be quickly fermented by bacteria in the digestive tract of the rabbit. If you feed too much then it can lead to diarrhea and bloating just as if you feed a your bunny a high sugar snack.

Romaine

1.2%

0.3%

2.1%

0.033%

.03%

1.1

9.9

0.1

1.2%

Details

More Information

Romaine lettuce contains more nutrients than other types of lettuce but for rabbits it doesn't have enough key nutrients that they need for basic health.

Green Leaf

1.4%

0.2%

1.3%

0.036%

.029%

1.2

13.4

0.3

0.8%

Details

More Information

Green leaf lettuce contains more coline than the other types of lettuce but it doesn't have nearly enough to meet the nutritional requirements of rabbits. The natural diet of rabbits is not based upon lettuce so don't let your rabbit eat too much of it.